Floating bolt latch



Sept- 25, 1951 w. A. ENDTER FLOATING BOLT LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 27, 1946 NVENTOR.

rrolPA/Y Sept. 25, 1951 W. A. EN DTER FLOATING BOLT LATCH F'led May 27,1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Trop/wry Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNETED STATESPATENT OFFICE FLoA'rmG noL'r LA'rcn Waldemar A. Endter, Long` Beach,Calif. Application May z1,"194s,seria1No. 672,582

This invention has to do with improvements in latch mechanism of thetake-up type characterized by the use of a floating bolt having capacityfor both swinging and bodily movement in a latching action resulting inthe closure (assuming it to carry the bolt) being urged in a closingdirection with relation to its keeper.

Particularly the invention aims to simplify, improve and economisemanufacture of the type of latch mechanisms disclosed in my Patent No.2,376,992 issued May' 29, 1945, -to me on Latch Device, and in mycopending applications Serial carried) abutment to transmit a closingthrust against the abutment while the reactive force is taken by thekeeper. In further simplification of the previous forms, the presentinvention contemplates loosely retaining the bolt within the latchhousing, in a manner obviating the necessity for bolt mountingsinvolving the use of closely fitting parts or exact machiningoperations.

Additional objects are directed to the keeper and bolt combination, andparticularly curved keeper surface shapes which serve such functions asto assure retention of the bolt against inadvertent release from eitheror both initial and advanced latched positions, and to present cammingsurfaces acting to thrust the bolt against the abutment whilemaintaining the bolt in blocking relation to opening movement of theclosure.

All the objects and details of the invention will be understood from thefollowing description of certain preferred forms, shown typically inmechanisms designed for use as automobile door latches, illustrated bythe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section taken on line I--I of Fig. 2 through the boltassembly, and illustrating in elevation the associate control mechanism;

' 5 Claims. (Cl. 292-223) Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs'.'3 and 4 are end and side views, respectively, of the bolt; I

Figs. 5 and -6 are end and side views, respectively, of the bolt controlpart;

Figs, 7 and' 8 are enlarged cross-sections on line I-I of Fig." 1showing different bolt and keeper positions;

Figs. 9 and l0 are similar views illustrating a variational form of theinvention; and

Fig. 11 is a view like Fig. 9 showing an additional variational form.

For'adaptation to an automobile door, the latch mechanism as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, is mounted ina case structure I0 of ,the usual formcomprising right angle flanges II and I2, the former of which carriesthe bolt and shaft assembly I3 at the door edge, flange I2 carrying thebolt control and locking mechanisms generally indicated at I4. OpeningI5 in flange II contains the outwardly projecting bolt-containingbracket or semi-housing I6, which may be of the usual form adapted forreception in confinement between the keeper parts, as later described.

The bolt I1, detailed in Figs. 3 and 4, is mounted within the housing I6for pivotal or swinging and bodily movement, one significantcharacteristic of the bolt mounting being that it permits freedisplacement of the bolt under the influence of the later describedkeeper, spring and stationary abutment. A pin I8 terminally securedwithin the housing I6 and the stationary deck plate I9, extends throughan opening 20 in the bolt, which-may have the form of a slot extendinggenerally in the direction of bodily displacement of the bolt, and forexample at an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical in the home positionof the bolt. Thus, except as the bolt may be restrained by spring 2| andthe housing I6, it is freely displaceable, the pin I8 serving merely asa retainer and guide. As shown in Fig. 1, the bolt extends through thecase flange I I and housing I6, and has a shoulder 22 engageable againstthe bottom horizontal edge 23 of opening I5 toA limit rotation of thebolt in a latching' direction.

The bolt has an associated control part, which for convenience ofmanufacture and assembly preferably is made as a separate element 24,see Figs. 5 and 6, carried by the inner end of the bolt. The controlpart has an opening 25 which receives the correspondingly shaped endprojection 28 on the bolt so that the parts are interengsged This resultis achieved by shaping lor slanting thc against relative rotation. Theelement Il carri@ engaged fhousing surface to make theangle bean arm 21engaged -by coil spring 2| mounted at tween a tangent to the curved boltsurface Il. at Il on the*V case ilange il, the springexerting'a itsli'neof contact withthehousinmandtheline constant thrust resistinganti-Iahing rotation of bolt reaction thrust (eilected by the thrust ofoi' the bolt, and tending. in the latched positions the bolt against thekeeper) extending through of tnebolt, to progressively advance thelatter the fulcrum point oi the boit less than 90. into or along thekeeper. Element ll carries a The intcrengagement of the bolt and housingsecond, laterally projectingarmor lug 2l engaged surfaces may beutilized to positively assure by parts of the mechanism Il to controlthe bolt 10 against inadvertent release of the bolt from operation inthe manner later explained. 'laughed eendigien within mekeeper, as by uwReferring to Fig. l the pillar-carried keeperv provision moreparticularly constituting the sub'- assembly lo comprises a plate Ilcarrying the ject matter of my copendingapplication Ber. spacedhorizontally disposed lug I2 and bolt re- .No. 640,859. referred to'above. For this lpurtaining keeper 33 between which the housing and 15pose. the bolt surface 40 may have a flattened boit assembly is receivedto eiieot a dove-tail orstraighi-iine portion no engageable againstlatched relation of the parte. the bolt l1 being the flat orstraight-line surfaceilb of the housreceived within the keeper andexerting against mg ai; an early 0r mitm] )embed pesmen of the thelatter a thrust forcing the housing l into bolt. as shown by thedottedlines. Because of tight engagement With the under surface of thethe fiat surface intcrengagement of the bolt and lug 32. The keeper 3lhas o oonovely euri/ed abutment faces a and lib, anti-latching rotaboltengaging face M which has a camming retion of the bolt out of the keeperis effectively lation to the curved bolt surface It, such that resistedagainst any eombmeuon 0f pressure and latching advancement of the boltalong surface vibration applied to the door or otherwise tendll tends tobodily displace the bolt generally in 25 ing to release the bolt.

the direction of elongation of the Slot 2- The Y l In accordance withthe variational form of the bolt has what may be termed a Sofety catchBiirinvention shown in Figs. 9 and l0, the bolt I face a offset radiallyinward from the surface has a circular, relatively large diameteropening Si and curved in conformity with the upper 4| loosely receivingthe pin 42 to permit free relcurved portion a of the keeper Surface. So,tbt s0 ative bodily displacement of the bolt. Here the the surfacesinterilt at the position shown in Fig. bolt has a true segmentalcircular curved keeper 8 in such relation w the housing thrust'againstengaging ieee 43 having its center or eurveture the bolt and thetransmission ofthe bolt thrust at the center of opening 4l. The keepr Mhas against the keeper, as to provide Bgnlnt any a concave bolt engagedface the upper portendency for the bolt to release. 86 tion 45a of whichhas a circular curvature cor- Assuming the door to be open With the boltresponding to the curvature of the bolt surface Position established' bythe enagement of its 43. so that-in the initial latched position of Pig.

surface 22 against edge 23 of the case opening, 10, the ben, and keeperinterengege 310m e, com.

as the closure is swung Shot. the bolt foco 3. enmon arc centered at thecenter of rotation of the gases the end 31 of the keeper. displacing theboit 4o boit. A umist and reactance relation um is upwardly until itoverrides the top rounded edge established between the bolt and keeper,prevent- 3l of the keeper, Wherelipon'spring 2| acts to adinganti-latching rotation of the bolt out of the vance the bolt into .thekeeper to the Safety Catch keeper as a result, of pressure applied tothe potlOn 0f Fig. 8. AS the closure i8 Shut further door. In referringt0 -the keeper surface la u the boit overrides the keeper to theposition et having a curvature corresponding to the bolt 'which itssurface 35 is advanced into and along curvature (enel` the renewingapplies es wen w the keeper Surface 34. the Spring 2| exerting n therelation between the bolt and cam surfaces progressive take-up actiontending to crowd the 35a 'and 34a in Figs. 'I and 8), it is appreciateddoor against the usual cushion as. the bolt Bpthat the same securityagainst unintentional repreaches the home position shown in Fig. 7. Bylease of the bolt may be had'by giving the keeper reason of the cammingrelation of the keeper surface 45a greater concave curvature..always,and bolt surfaces 34 and Ii, the bolt i8 however, in a directi n or to adegree such that displaced to bring its curved surface 40 into enthekeeper reactance against the bolt tends either ggelnent With aStationary butment presented to cause no rotation of the bolt, or torotate thev by the inside surface of the housing It. Accordbolt in alatching, as distinguished from an antiingly, in all of its latchedlpositions (including latching direction. More speciilcally the angle thesafety catch position), the bolt Serves to between a tangent to thekeeper surface, at its block opening movement of the door by reason lineof contact with the bolt, and a line extendof the interposition of thebolt between the pillaring from said line of contact through thefulcarried keeper Il and the `.door-carried -abut- 0 crum point of thebolt should be 90 or less, ment il. such angle being measured on,v thatside of thc From the foregoing it will be understood that line throughthe fulcrum point 'facing in the diduring latching rotation of the boltafter it enrection of anti-latching rotation of the bolt. In

' ters the keeper. the bolt has rocking and sliding other words, thekeeper `surface a should be engagement'with 4the stationary housingsurface o5 slanted or inclined with respect to the bolt surita. At thesame time the bolt rocks and slides face u to provide a latching forcecomponent about the pin Il by reason of the shifting fulto the bolt bykeeper reactance against thebolt. crum or line of contact between theunderside Beyond the curved face "a, the keeper has a of the pin and thelower sidewall of the slot .lo cam surface 451i which tends, during boltad'- or opening 2l in the bolt. The curved bolt survancement toward thehome position, tc bodily face 4l progressively -makes line contact withthe displace the bolt with the curved bolt surface 4I inside surface ofthe housing', but this contact bearing against the inside face of thehousing II. is utilized to effectively resist anti-latching ro- Uponreaching the fully latched position of Pig. tation of the bolt in any ofits latched positions. u ,9, the bolt moves beyond and below thereversely ncurved end surface 45e of the keeper, with thev result thatthe bolt becomes blocked against inadvertent anti-latching rotation, thecurvature i of surface 45e and its position in the path'of the bolt.tending, under the influence of pressurel exerted against the door, tocause the bolt to turn further in a latching direction.

The keeper and bolt -parts shown in Fig. 1l are similar to the form o fFigs. 9 and 10, except with respect to the shape of the keeper surfaceengaged by the bolt in its home position.' Here vthe circularly curvedbolt surface 88 is engage- I able'against the correspondingly curvedkeeper surface 8| in an initial latched position corresponding to Fig.I0. Then as the bolt. with its curved surface 82 engaging the abutmentsurface of the housing I6, is advanced in a latching direction, the boltsurface has camming engage-l ment against the substantially straightkeeper surface 83 of reduced angularity substantially as shown. Thissurface angularity is such as to effect a forceful take-up action, andalso to assure against unintentional release of the bolt from advancedlatched or home position. It will be observed lthat the housing thrustagainst the bolt surface 82 at point 84 is at a location above the pointof engagement at 85 between the bolt and the pinI 88, and that thehousing thrust is normal to a tangent to the curved surface 82 at thepoint 84. Accordingly. any opening tendency of the door, withoutintentional release of the bolt, is resisted by the transmission of athrust from the housing i6 tending to rotate the bolt in a latchingdirection. Inuenced also by the relatively high coecient of frictionbetween the housing and bolt at point 84, the bolt will remain'engagedwith the keeper surface 83, until intentionally released.

The invention contemplates the provision of any suitable means forserving the purposes of the mechanism I4, to manually effect the boltrelease from the keeper and to maintain separate combinations of theparts of the entire assembly in locked or ineffective conditions. Merelyas illustrative, the mechanism I4 is shown to have the construction andoperation more fully developed in my copending application Serial Number640,860, entitled Lock Control Mechanism, filed January 12, 1946. Forpresent purposes, a general description of the operating and controlmechanism |4 will suilce.

The control mechanism includes the usual outside handle or operator (notshown) carried on a spindle 48 supported by the bracket 49 and carryingan arm 50 to which is pivotally attached at the bifurcated bodilymovable element 52. The usual inside door handle or operator (not shown)reciprocally actuates the link 52|. Also for operation at the insidedoor is provided the usual push button rod 53. Bolt l1 is operated by abell crank actuating lever 54 pivoted on the stationary pin 55 andhaving a bifurcated arm 56 carrying lugs 51 and 58 engaging andreceiving between them lug 29 on the bolt control part 274. Thus thebolt and actuating lever 54 are associated or interconnectedforrotation, one in response. to movement ofthe other. Lever 54 carries alug 59 engaged by the end of coil spring 60 carried on the pin 55. thespring tending to urge the. lever in an anti-latch@ ing direction and totake up looseness in the lever engagement with associated parts. Y

Pin 55 also carries the pivoted control lever 8| having an arm 82pivotally attached to the push s button rod` I8, and having a second arm88 ezigageable by the key-controlled rotor 84 carried on spindle 85, tothrow the lever between` its locking and releasing positions. Anover-center coil spring 88 connects arm 88-to the case flange I2.

Rotation of spindle 4I by the outside operator swings arm 58 and element52 down against the resistance of spring 81, producing anti-latchingrotation of the bolt by the engagement of shoulder 88 on the arm 88against the actuating lever lug 51. the starting positions of the partsbeing as in Fig. l. The bolt is similarly releasable by operation ofthe] inside -door handle, causing movement to the`left of link 52| andresultant swinging of lever 54 to rotate its lug 51 against the boltpart arm 28.

To lock the latch mechanism at the inside.

4depression of the push button rod 53 Irotates lever 8|counter-clockwise. causing its lug 18 to engage against arm 1| of theelement 52, swinging the latter about pin 5|. a distance sumcient toclear shoulder 88 from the lug 51. The

outside operator then remains freely rotatable*- but ineffective torelease the bolt. The same rotation of leverv 8| locks link 52| againstretractive movement by lug 12 being brought down at the outside of andadjacent to the hook-shaped arm 18. As will be apparent, the lever 8|maybe key-actuated from the outside of the door and in a manner similarto its operation by the push button lever, by rotation of thekey-controlled spindle 85 and rotor 84 to engage and swing arm 83 withinthe limits presented by the stops 14 and 15. Finally, it may be observedthat assuming the door to be opened and with the bolt and control partsin the positions of Fig. 1, the lca pacity of element 52 .for pivotalmovement and the lost motion pin and slot connection at 18 between link52| and arm 54, permit antilatching rotation of the actuating lever andreturn of the parts to normal operating positions as thebolt enters thekeeper.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism for a stationary member and a swinging closuremember, the combination comprising: a pivot pin adapted to be mounted onone of the members; a bolt having a bearing opening of larger size thanand receiving said pin to mount said bolt for rotation and radial bodilydisplacement thereon, said bolt having aconvexly curved peripheralsurface portion for rotative latching engagement with a keeper mountedon the other of the members and another convexly curved surface portionperipherally spaced from and approximately opposite said keeper-engagingsurface portion; and means adapted to be ilxedly mounted on the onemember and defining an abutment surface progressively engageable by saidother bolt surface portion, by the bodily displacement of said bolt uponengagement thereof with the 3.'1'hestructuredennedinclaim1in theabutment surface and the other bolt surface portion have nets engageablein lin-initially latched position of the bolt. k

4. The structure'denned in claim 1 in which the keeper-engaging boltsurface portion is arcuate having its center of curvature at the centerof the bearing opening.A and'including a keeper having a concavelycurved boit-engaging aurface, the initially bolt-engaged portion ofwhichis complementary to said bolt surface.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the keeper-engaging boltsurface portion is arcuate having its center of curvature at the centerof the bearing opening. and including a keeper having a. concavelycurved bolt-engaging surface, the initially bolt-engaged portion ofwhich which is complementary tn said bolt surface and the re- I mainingportion -of which has a progressively increasing radius of curvature.

. WALDEMAR A. ENDTER. l

umass crrm .Thefollol'vinlreferencdareofrecordlnthl ille of this potent:

' UNrrxD s'rwrls nm'rs uxnber DineY Name Lee, Sept. 26. 1811 Neidl Sept.24. 18945 Conklin Sept. 7. 1307 sum oct. 22, 1212 Beringer ..-.v. Oct.5, 1926 Schmidgall Jan. 11, 1027 Devereaux Aug. 16. 1927 B'onnbemi` Apr.28, 1936 Schonitner Sept. 28, i931 ODonnell Oct. 25. 193| Dull June 24,194i Murphy' June 16, 1942 Marshall Dec. 22, 1942 1045 maar May 22,

